[Reunions and Separation – Part 3]

"After I am done cooking this meal for you, Keyron, I will leave this apartment. Please make sure the children keep the secret of my existence from Miss Louise." Kyrano's announcement was a quick splash of cold water on his rising spirit, sobering him up immediately back to the reality that they as siblings shared: Kyrano could not remain alive, undisguised and within vicinity of anyone within the Greaves-Crawford Household for long without reaping any repercussions. "Miss Kaylen has mistaken me for you, and Kyren has yet to see me without disguise. I believe that your sons will be able to a keep a secret if you give them motivation strong enough, and... well, I will leave it in your hands to ensure that Mr. Brandon keeps the secret however hard it may be."

"You don't want to let Kyren know that you have been the one taking care of him all this while? You have been saving him time and again from all sorts of danger ever since he was born, and this time you even created an entire company to help him learn a lesson. Do you really not want him to know?"

Keyron knew that he could not hope to stop his brother from trying to leave –it had long become an understanding between them –but could the young master not be enlightened about the real identity of the man who had been his guardian ever since birth? Kyrano had literally been there for Kyren ever since the boy was born –Kyrano had been the one who had rushed Miss Louise to the hospital when she had been alone in a corridor and in the middle of childbirth. Of course, Miss Louise had been too in pain to recognize that it was Kyrano and not Keyron who had come to her rescue, and so –yet again –Keyron had taken the recognition and glory of Kyrano's effort.

"I think it is enough that he knows that there was once a humble man who served his mother to the best of his abilities before he had to leave the Household for her sake." Kyrano answered, lighting the fire on the gas stove and setting the pot to boil. "Kyren does not need to be burdened with the identity of his mother's butler or his savior. As long as he believes that you are enough for his parents, it is good enough for me."

"But it isn't enough for me." The interruption between the talk of siblings made Keyron spin around quickly, partially surprised to see the supposedly sleeping young master standing in the doorway to the bedroom, his hand curled on the doorknob. It had been more than a month since Keyron last saw his young master in the flesh but Kyren was exactly as how he remembered the boy to be. His brother had clearly done everything required to make sure that not even a single hair on the young master of the Greaves-Crawford Household had been harmed –at least not permanently.

A deep frown drew across his face as Kyren took in Keyron's state of undress and the wound still sporting bright on the back of his shoulder, though the Keyron was very sure that he was not the source of such open displeasure. "I can't believe I have been staying with you for months and I never guessed. The two of you sound so alike!"

"What are you doing, Mr. Brandon?" Kyrano's question held very light threat within –because he could not seriously threaten a man who was the husband of his mistress –standing frozen in front of the stove and clear of all disguises.

"Getting a little bit of revenge against you the only way I know how." Brandon's answer was rebellious with an evil grin as the man stepped out from the bedroom, ushering his son out as well and closing the door behind them. It was safe for Keyron to assume that his sons had remained in the bedroom to ensure that the young mistress was still safely asleep. "And you've made me realize that I should start to trust my son with the truth of things now that he must have learn many lessons from you. I leave him with this truth, Kyrano."

"You play a dangerous game, Mr. Brandon. Have you not forgotten the foolishness and childishness that you were capable of back in the Rose Academy? While I admit that Kyren has matured much faster than boys his age, he undoubtedly also has inherited a little from you." Kyrano's answer was calm and even, but even after years of separation, Keyron could still hear the warning in his brother's tone of voice.

"I don't think the two of you should be talking as if I'm not around, Kay." There was strong sarcasm in the name spoken, and Keyron could not help but liken the boy's current tone to his mother's –particularly during negotiations. "I think you have some explanation to do before I allow you to leave this place."

"It is very assuring to hear that you have regained your confidence as a young master of the Greaves-Crawford Household, Kyren." Kyrano had not moved a single step away from the stove, still attending to the porridge in the pot with care while Keyron held his breath, not sure if he should be stepping in between the three-way war that was about to explode between his brother, his master and his young master. "But I am Miss Louise's butler and Miss Louise's butler alone. I do not believe you have the ability to stop me from leaving this place if I were so to desire it right now."

There was no more obvious truth hanging in between them, and Keyron wondered if he had forgotten the sharpness and confidence of Kyrano's capabilities over their years of separation, or if his brother had developed piercing rebellion while outside. He could not remember ever hearing Kyrano speaking so openly rebelliously to someone of a high familial standing than him before.

"I'm not afraid of calling Mum right now." The young master who was clearly nurturing a ball of ember inside himself at the truth identity of the man named 'Kay' raised his hand to produce a phone. Keyron recognized it as his master's belonging, and was temporarily distracted at the sight of Brandon searching his pockets in startled realization that his son had robbed him.

"You will do it only if you wish to destroy your own family." Kyrano's warning was no longer light because both butlers knew that the boy meant his threat. "You may be Miss Louise's darling son, but I am unafraid to take measures to ensure Miss Louise's health and safety –mental or physical."

Keyron stood up, protective instincts over his young master nurtured over the decades rising quickly to the surface.

"Kyrano." He warned in a serious tone that he found he had rarely needed to use.

"Instead of warning me, you should warn your young master, Keyron." His twin brother simply snapped his eye contact away from the boy and at his brother instead. "And at the same time, Mr. Brandon should choose his actions wisely. I am no longer the seventeen-year-old Kyrano I was when we first met. I will admit that my tolerance level for stupid actions from you and Mr. Brandon has gone down now that the years have passed. I can no longer help the two of you give excuses that you will learn as you grow old, for the two of you should be old enough to understand the severity of this situation and the threat that Young Kyren is making against his own Household."

There was nothing but truth and polite warning in Kyrano's voice. The distinction had been made very clear from the start –and now that Kyren was putting himself in a precarious situation, Keyron saw it even more clearly. Kyrano had always spoken the sentence like a chant, and from its repetition, Keyron had almost forgotten the meaning behind those words.

Kyrano was Miss Louise's butler and only her butler.

Jumping to his feet quickly and not allowing his master to stop him from taking the wiser and honestly rational action, Keyron grabbed the phone that his young master had raised out in his hand, pocketing it and escaping to stand by his twin brother at the other side of the room. The look of disbelief at his betrayal wrote equally on both father and son and once again, Keyron was reminded of how much his young master resembled Brandon.

"I'm not trying to side Kyrano, but you really shouldn't threaten him with your mother's health on the line." Keyron softened his tone as much as possible, raising both hands up to show that he was not planning anything more against his own master and young master. "I don't expect you to fully understand why I am siding with him this time, Kyren, but someday I hope you will."

"Some kind of butler you are, Keyron." Brandon scowled, but the two of them had grown up together long enough for Keyron to be completely immune to the show of outward displeasure from his master.

"The kind that is trying to make sure that he has a comprehensive Household to return back to instead having to choose between serving the Crawfords or Greaves." Keyron vocalized clearly in reply.

"You think too highly of me. Miss Louise would not separate the two Households that she spent so much time and effort bringing together. It would not be a practical move for business." Kyrano spoke up with a soft shake of his head.

"I think you're forgetting the fact that Miss Louise isn't a very rational person where you're concerned." Keyron's answer was confident this time. While he had to acknowledge that despite the many years that had passed, Keyron could still not match up with his brother in terms of capabilities, Keyron could only win Kyrano on one important thing; the knowledge of how their mistress had forced herself to move on believing that her butler was truly dead and irrevocably gone.

"If you're trying to leave with dignity, Kyrano," Keyron moved to position himself so that even if his master or young master started trying something funny he would still be in a suitable position to stop them, "I suggest you do it now and soon. I'm a man with stitches on my shoulder; I don't think I'll be able to hold off both Brandon and a fifteen year old boy on my own for very long."

"I was still in the midst of making your porridge." Kyrano's answer was informational.

"I can make my own damned porridge. If you want to get your ass out of here without Kyren going ballistics trying to hunt your ass down, go now."

It was good timing to say those words, because Keyron had served his young master long enough to recognize the shuffling of emotions as they flit past Kyren's face. It was usual flush of confusion, loss and desperation, and very soon it would turn into a bright ball of anger. His young master had definitely matured a lot under Kyrano's teachings, but Kyren had not lost anything that made him the young master of the Greaves-Crawford family.

"Very well, I trust your words. Take good care of your young master and master." The last words of instructions held a silent, secret promise that some time further down their future they would be meeting again and thus Keyron did not feel the loss as he spread out his arms, standing in the doorway so that he could serve as a physical shield for his brother.

The sound of the door clicking open came from behind him, and Keyron waited for the corresponding click that would announce the door closing behind his brother.